Dental hygiene has numerous benefits, not just for oral health. On a basic level, oral hygiene means avoiding bad breath, bleeding gums, tooth infection, and even loss of teeth. On a higher level disease such as endocarditis, cardiovascular disease, and pneumonia have been linked to oral health. Studies have shown that maintaining healthy gums and keeping them disease free, has lasting results for your overall health.
You need not look any further for dental hygiene in Wimbledon, than Wimbledon Dental Care. Here we understand that tooth decay is one of the most common diseases in the developed world. However, we also know that it is the most preventable.
How does tooth decay occur?
Even with regular brushing and flossing, there is no guarantee that all plaque is removed. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as poor cleaning regime, inadequate old equipment, lifestyle choices (smoking, junk food eating, tea and coffee drinking), or even if you do everything right, some areas are just missed.
Plaque build-up, for whatever the reason, can cause inflammation of the gums, otherwise known as gingivitis. Gingivitis, if left untreated, can cause periodontal disease. Periodontitis is a severe gum disease that is a gum infection involving the soft tissue supporting your teeth. Eventually, the bone beneath the teeth is eroded, and the tooth falls out if not treated.
We recommend you don’t delay and seek dental hygiene in Wimbledon today. It may seem counter-intuitive, but it is actually when your teeth are healthiest that you should see a dental hygienist. This is because we try to prevent oral diseases from occurring in our patients. So visit us before the toothache!
What does a dental hygienist do?
The dental hygienist is a dental worker who specialises in scaling and polishing teeth, while also advising how best to maintain oral hygiene. We recommend you visit your dental hygienist every six months or less depending on your own oral health needs.
Professional cleans ensure that we get to the places you may have missed. This will reduce the likelihood of contracting an oral disease. Professional cleans consist of three main steps:
- Scaling – during this step, the dental hygienist uses an array of specialised dental tools to ‘scrape’ the built-up plaque or tartar from the teeth. Often the combination of ultrasound and manual scraping is used by the dental hygienist.
- Polishing – the next step is the polish. This is where the dental hygienist smooths the teeth’s surfaces, leaving them bright and shiny. By smoothing the enamel of the teeth, this makes it less likely for plaque build up in the minor imperfections and crevices.
- Educating – generally, the dental hygienist after completing the scaling and polishing will impart wisdom on how to properly maintain your oral health by illustrating proper technique and form in the cleaning.
General dental hygiene advice
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that prevention, not cure, is the best type of oral care. This is why we at Wimbledon Dental Care promote general oral health advice. Because by caring and cleaning properly for their teeth, our patients will be able to avoid painful diseases and unnecessary expense.
Use the right equipment and change your toothbrush when the bristles become splayed and ruined. Soft toothbrushes are preferable to hard. Proper form and technique while brushing and flossing is important, regular check-ups are necessary to miss any hard to reach places.
Maintain your dental hygiene in Wimbledon by visiting us today!